PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy hailed the Indian Army on Wednesday for carrying out air strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Chief Minister said the successful retaliation by the army is a fitting reply and effective response to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam killing 26 civilians on April 22.

The 'Operation Sindoor' striking the terror hubs is a successful accomplishment, Rangasamy said in a release, and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian army.

Rangasamy said that the territorial administration would always stand by the Centre to ensure the protection of India and to eradicate terrorism.

Former Lt Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi said that "India strikes back on the terror camps which were breeding and training terrorists inside Pakistan, thereby dismantling the terror industry inside Pakistan". She added that "it was a focused, measured and coordinated strike by all forces".

She thanked the Government of India for a mature and restrained strike. Kiran Bedi also said that India had acted after due diligence.

District Collector A Kulothungan said in a release that the Puducherry District Administration would conduct a mock exercise later in the day near the airport at Lawspet on civil defence preparedness.